Combined toy building and puzzle



C. V. JOHNSON COMBINED TOY BUILDING AND PUZZLE Sept. 25, 1951 3 Sheets Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 19, 1948 INVENTOR. CZarerz c'e VJfi ,5072

Sept. 25, 1951 c. v. JOHNSON 2,569,107

COMBINED TOY BUILDING AND PUZZLE Filed Jan. 19, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J I J l l a J8 J0 5 7 7 mmvrox.

, c. v. JOHNSON 2,569,107.

COMBINED TOY BUILDING AND PUZZLE Sept. 25, 1951 Filed Jan. 19, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I I INVENTOR. {Zarenze L lfoknsan Patented Sept. 25, 1951 OFFICE COMBINED. TOY BUILDING AND PUZZLE Clarence Verne Johnson, Yates Center, Kans. Application January 19, an, SerialNo. 2,980

The invention aims to make novel provision for constructing a' toy building, and the construction is preferably such as to permitrepresentation of a church, a schoolhouse, or a barn.

In carrying out the above end, further'objects are to provide a novel gable roof construction; to'provide for the easy attachment of a' porch "roof; to provide a novel floor of blocks "which when properly placed will hold four corner posts of the building in place; to so form said blocks that they will constitute a puzzle, the solution of which is the completed floor; and to provide a comparatively inexpensive toy which will give a great deal of entertainment and develop skill.

Figure 1 ofthe, accompanying drawings is a front elevation partly broken away and in section.

F 1 Figure '2' is a side elevation partly broken away and in section.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on lines 3-3 of Figs. 2 and 5.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on lines 4 -4 of Figs. 3 and 5.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view'on line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary disassembled perspective view.

In the drawings above, briefly described, the numeral 1 denotes a fiat horizontal base upon which a horizontal rectangular frame 8 rests, said frame being composed of two side bars 9 and two end bars It. The bars 9 and ID are of rectangular shape in cross section. In the present disclosure, the ends of the end bars ID are provided with inverted L-shaped hooks H formed integrally therewith and receivable removably in similarly shaped sockets l2 formed in the side bars 9, whereby the side and end bars are removably interlocked.

Four corner posts I3 of square cross-sectional shape rest upon the base I and are seated in the four corners of the frame 8, respectively, said posts having longitudinal grooves 14 to receive side-wall-forming members hereinafter described, and also having longitudinal grooves IE to receive end-wall-forming members, also to be described. The corner posts l3 are held in place by means of a floor it formed of various blocks resting upon the base I, said floor extending from one side bar 9 to the other, and from one end bar It to the other. The block floor l6 preferably includes four corner blocks ll, each in the form of a Greek cross, whereby certain of the right angular notches between the arms of the crosses may coact with the right 1 Claim. (CI. 46-19) "angular corners of the frame 8 in forming complete sockets in which the lower ends of the posts l3 are snugly seated. The floor blocks have the same vertical height as the side and end bars so that in connection with the lower ends of the posts, they fill the spac e w ithinjthe frame. The floor also includes longitudinalblocks I8 extending between the corner blocks I] and transverse blocks M xtending between said corner blocks 11, whereby the latterare securely heldin place. The floor is completed by means of various additional blocks 20,; 2i and 22. The blocks 22 are preferably arranged to give the'appearance of a cross at the center of the floor, and this cross plus the crosses I! provide an attractive design for the floor, particularly when the building is 'to represent a' churchor the like. However, instead'of having the faces of the various blocks coact in forming such a design as that shown, said faces could have portions of a religious or other picture printed or pasted thereon. For example,

.the top faces of the floor blocks may contain portions of the American flag. Or the' block when properly positioned may present a picture of Noahs Ark or of a barn floor as a Biblical lesson. In any case, the blocks would constitute an entertaining puzzle and the completed floor would constitute the solution of said puzzle.

Side-wall-forming members 23 extend between the corner posts I3 and rest upon the floor [6, and the ends of said members 23 are completely seated in the grooves I4 of said posts; and similar members 23 have their ends partially received in said grooves l4, although the side walls are of such height that the upper edges of said members 23 are disposed in a plane above the upper ends of the posts l3. The various members 23 and 23 preferably have tongue-andgroove connections with each other as shown.

The end walls of the building are formed from horizontal members 24 and 24 corresponding to the members 23 and 23, and said members 24 and 24 are engaged with the corner post grooves IS. The members 24 at the front of the building are short and their inner ends are removably engaged with stiles 24 between which removable doors 24 are hung. If desired, by using different members 24, a larger or smaller door-way could of course be provided, and it could be located toward one side of the building instead of centrally.

The four corner posts l3 are provided with removable upwardly projecting pins 25 respectively, and the uppermost of the side-and-endwall-forming members (23 and 24*) are provided with projecting overlapped lugs 23 and 24 said lugs having openings 26 through which the pins 25 extend. Thus, the members 23 and 24 effectively tie the upper end of the general structure together both longitudinally and transversely.

Gable rafters 21 are provided, the lower ends of said rafters having openings 28 through which the pins 25 extend. Resting upon the rafters 21, is a suitable roof 29 having openings 30 through which the upper ends of the pins 25 project. If desired, a belfry simulation 3| may rest upon the roof 29.

I provide a porch roof 32 to extend over the front doorway, the rear edge of said roof 32 being provided with rearwardly projecting lugs 33 having openings 34 through which the pins 25 extend. These lugs preferably rest directly upon the corner posts 13, being. therefore interposed between these posts and the top member 24 of one end wall. Lugs 33, however, could well be inserted between other elements of the structure if desired.

Two gable panels 35 are provided, the upper edges of the members 24 and the lower edges of the rafters 21 being formed with grooves 36 and 31 respectively, removably receiving the lower and upper edges of said panels, respectively.

The wall-forming members 23, 23 24 and 24 preferably represent weatherboarding on one side and stones, bricks, blocks or the like on the other, and either side may be placed outwardly, according to the kind of building being simulated.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that a novel and advantageous construction has been provided for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed, attention is invited to the possibility of making minor variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

1 claim:

In a toy building a fiat rectangular horizontal base, a four-cornered horizontal rectangular base frame to rest upon said base and composed of side and end bars of rectangular shape in cross section and having hook-shaped end portions which are interlocked at the four corners, four corner posts of square cross-sectional shape resting on said base in the four comers of said base frame respectively, the outer side faces of said posts abutting the inner side faces of said side and end bars, the opposed vertical faces of said posts being formed with longitudinal grooves, a

floor extending from one of said side bars to the other and from one of said end bars to the other, said floor consisting of contacting blocks resting on said base and having a vertical height corresponding to that of said side and end frame bars, whereby said blocks and the lower portions of the posts will fill the space within said frame,

' four of said blocks being disposed at the four corners of said floor and having flat faced notches to engage the inner faces of said posts, said notches coacting with said corners of the frame in forming sockets in which the lower ends of said posts are snugly seated and held, side and end walls resting on said floor and having end edges seated in said grooves of opposed posts to hold said walls between said posts, a roof and means connecting the upper ends of said posts and supporting said roof.

CLARENCE VERNE JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

